A conventional approach to detecting malware on a smart phone involves porting malware detection tools which currently exist for traditional computers (e.g., laptops, desktops, servers, etc.) to the smart phone. Such malware detection tools include antispyware, anti-virus software, etc.
Once the malware detection tools are installed on the smart phone, the tools typically run in the background in a manner similar to the way they run on traditional computers. That is, the tools inspect files at rest and other running software on the smart phone and, if the tools discover malware, the tools attempt to quarantine and block further operation of that malware.